Q&A Hero

Q: High-pitched sound has a high A) speed. B) rate of vibration. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: The pitch of a musical sound is most related to A) wavelength. B) frequency. C) speed. D) amplitude. E) all of the above

Q: Musical tones are characterized by A) pitch. B) loudness. C) quality. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Compared to noise, musical sounds have A) periodic tones. B) musical notes. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Which of these sounds characterize "white noise"? A) surf B) rustling leaves C) bubbling water D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Two tuning forks produce sounds of wavelengths 3.4 meters and 3.3 meters. Approximately what beat frequency is produced? A) 0.1 hertz B) 1.0 hertz C) 2.0 hertz D) 3.0 hertz E) 4.0 hertz

Q: A piano tuner knows that a key on the piano is tuned to the frequency of a test tuning fork when the fork and key struck at same time produce beats of A) 0 Hz. B) 1 Hz. C) 2 Hz. D) 3 Hz. E) 4 Hz.

Q: A 1056-hertz tuning fork is struck at the same time as a note on the piano and you hear 2 beats/second. You tighten the piano string very slightly and then hear 3 beats/second. What is the frequency of the piano string? A) 1053 hertz B) 1054 hertz C) 1056 hertz D) 1058 hertz E) 1059 hertz

Q: A 1056-hertz tuning fork is sounded at the same time a piano note is struck. You hear three beats per second. What is the frequency of the piano string? A) 1056 hertz B) 1059 hertz C) 1053 hertz D) 3168 hertz E) need more information

Q: The beat frequency produced when a 240-hertz tuning fork and a 246-hertz tuning fork are sounded together is A) 6 hertz. B) 12 hertz. C) 240 hertz. D) 245 hertz. E) none of the above

Q: The phenomenon of beats is a result of sound A) refraction. B) reflection. C) interference. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Sound interference with a pair of radio loudspeakers can be nicely demonstrated when the A) radio signal is monaural for each. B) input and output of the speakers are reversed. C) speakers are brought face to face. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Sound waves can interfere with one another so that no sound results. A) True B) False C) Either, depending on the air temperature.

Q: When sound waves superimpose they can interfere A) constructively. B) destructively. C) either of these D) neither of these

Q: Wave interference occurs in A) transverse waves. B) longitudinal waves. C) both of the above D) none of the above

Q: Interference is a property of A) water waves. B) sound waves. C) light waves. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Repeatedly tap the side of a drinking glass with a spoon as you fill the glass with water and the pitch of the sound A) increases. B) decreases. C) remains relatively constant.

Q: A tuning fork of frequency 200 hertz can resonate if an incident sound wave has a frequency of A) 100 hertz. B) 200 hertz. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Resonance occurs with forced vibration that requires the A) least amount of energy input. B) maximum amount of energy input. C) matching of wave amplitudes. D) matching of constructive and destructive interference. E) minimum beat frequency.

Q: For radio transmission, which has the higher frequency? A) carrier wave B) sound wave C) neither of these

Q: The type of radio wave that produces the least static in a radio receiver is A) AM. B) FM. C) neither of these

Q: The A in AM radio stands for A) acceleration. B) authorized. C) amplitude. D) agony. E) almost.

Q: The F in FM radio stands for A) frequency. B) forced vibration at which resonance occurs. C) foul. D) female. E) fax.

Q: When tuning a radio to a particular station, you match the frequency of the internal electrical circuit with the frequency of the wanted radio station. What principle is being employed? A) forced vibrations B) resonance C) beats D) reverberation E) wave interference

Q: Reports are that singer Caruso was able to shatter a crystal chandelier with his voice, which illustrates A) an echo. B) sound refraction. C) beats. D) resonance. E) interference.

Q: How long a tuning fork vibrates when its handle is held against a table is most related to A) its frequency. B) resonance. C) the conservation of energy. D) the length of its prongs.

Q: When the handle of a tuning fork is held solidly against a table, the sound becomes louder and the time that the fork keeps vibrating A) becomes longer. B) becomes shorter. C) remains the same.

Q: Sound will be louder if a struck tuning fork is held A) in the air. B) with its base against a tabletop. C) with its prongs in shallow water. D) in your closed fist.

Q: The least energy required to produce forced vibration in an object occurs A) below its natural frequency. B) at its natural frequency. C) above its natural frequency. D) none of the above

Q: The bell with the highest natural frequency is relatively A) small. B) large. C) either of these

Q: The natural frequency of an object depends on its A) size. B) shape. C) elasticity. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: A base fiddle is louder than a harp because of its A) thicker strings. B) sounding board. C) lower pitch. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: In perceiving its environment, a dolphin makes use of A) echoes. B) the Doppler effect. C) ultrasound. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: A dolphin perceives its environment by the sense of A) sight. B) sound. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Sound refraction can occur when the speed of sound A) remains constant. B) changes. C) ranges below supersonic. D) none of the above

Q: Refraction of sound can occur in A) air. B) water. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Reflection of sound can occur in A) air. B) water. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: When sound travels faster higher above the ground than below, bending of sound tends to be A) upward. B) downward. C) to the left. D) to the right. E) none of the above

Q: When sound travels faster near the ground than above, bending of sound tends to be A) upward. B) downward. C) to the left. D) to the right. E) none of the above

Q: The explanation for refraction must involve a change in A) frequency. B) wavelength. C) speed. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: An acoustical engineer in designing a music hall is concerned with A) echoes. B) reflection. C) reverberations. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Reverberation of sound occurs for A) sound interference. B) forced vibrations. C) re-echoed sound. D) resonance. E) none of the above

Q: To estimate the distance in kilometers of a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the accompanying thunder, then divide by A) 2. B) 3. C) 4. D) 5. E) none of the above

Q: Assuming that xenon (atomic number 54) and krypton (atomic number 36) have the same temperature and pressure, in which gaseous medium does sound travel faster? A) Xenon B) Krypton C) a mixture of both D) the same in both

Q: Knowing that the atomic number of neon is greater than that of helium, at the same temperature and pressure, how does the speed of sound in helium gas compare to the speed of sound in neon gas? A) greater in neon than in helium B) greater in helium than in neon C) the same in both gases D) depends on the frequency of the sound generated

Q: An explosion occurs 34 km away. The time it takes for its sound to reach your ears, traveling at 340 m/s, is A) 0.1 s. B) 1 s. C) 10 s. D) 20 s. E) more than 20 s.

Q: One reason for the higher pitch of your voice after you've inhaled some helium is that sound travels A) slower in helium than in air. B) faster in helium than in air. C) the same speed in helium but with a longer wavelength.

Q: The speed of sound in air is greatest for A) high frequencies. B) low frequencies. C) same for all frequencies.

Q: The wavelengths of sound that carry farther in air are relatively A) long. B) short. C) ultrasonic. D) none of the above

Q: The frequencies of sound that carry farther in air are A) low. B) high. C) ultrasonic. D) none of the above

Q: The energy of sound in air eventually becomes A) increased internal energy in the air. B) weaker and weaker until it disappears. C) cancelled by destructive interference. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Sound travels faster in air if the air temperature is A) warm. B) cold. C) average. D) any of the above

Q: The speed of a sound wave in air depends on A) its frequency. B) its wavelength. C) air temperature. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Sound travel fastest in A) water vapor. B) water. C) ice. D) steam. E) all of the above

Q: A 340-hertz sound wave travels at 340 m/s in air with a wavelength of A) 1 m. B) 10 m. C) 100 m. D) 1000 m. E) none of the above

Q: The kind of waves that travel fastest through a long metal rod have A) short wavelengths. B) waves of medium length. C) long wavelengths. D) all have the same speed

Q: Which does NOT belong to the same family? A) infrasonic waves B) ultrasonic waves C) radio waves D) shock waves E) longitudinal waves

Q: Compressions and rarefactions normally travel in A) the same direction in a wave. B) opposite directions in a wave. C) right angles to the wave direction. D) none of the above

Q: Compressions and rarefactions are characteristics of A) longitudinal waves. B) transverse waves. C) both of these D) need more information

Q: In choosing between sound waves and radio waves, which has the greater speed? A) sound wave B) radio wave C) both the same D) need more information

Q: In air and in water the same sound travels with different A) frequencies. B) speeds. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: The speed of sound depends on A) its frequency. B) its amplitude. C) the medium in which it travels. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Sound waves cannot travel in A) air. B) water. C) steel. D) a vacuum.

Q: Sound travels fastest in A) air. B) water. C) steel. D) a vacuum.

Q: Human hearing is best in A) infrasonic sound. B) ultrasonic sound. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: A wave of frequency of 1000 hertz vibrates at A) less than 1000 cycles per second. B) 1000 cycles per second. C) more than 1000 cycles per second. D) none of the above

Q: The approximate range of human hearing is A) 10 hertz to 10,000 hertz. B) 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz. C) 40 hertz to 40,000 hertz. D) none of the above

Q: A high-frequency sound source produces a high A) speed. B) amplitude. C) pitch. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: A sound wave is a A) longitudinal wave. B) transverse wave. C) all of the above D) none of the above

Q: The source of every sound is something that is A) vibrating. B) moving. C) accelerating. D) undergoing simple harmonic motion. E) a net emitter of energy.

Q: The period of the second hand on a clock is A) 1 second. B) 1/60 second. C) 60 seconds. D) 3600 seconds. E) 12 hours.

Q: The frequency of the second hand on a clock is A) 1 hertz. B) 1/60 hertz. C) 60 hertz.

Q: A weight suspended from a spring bobs up and down over a distance of 1 meter in two seconds. Its frequency is A) 0.5 hertz. B) 1 hertz. C) 2 hertz. D) none of the above

Q: An object that completes 100 vibrations in 5 seconds has a period of A) 0.5 second. B) 1 second. C) 2 seconds. D) none of the above

Q: An object that completes 20 vibrations in 10 seconds has a frequency of A) 0.5 hertz. B) 1 hertz. C) 2 hertz. D) 200 hertz.

Q: An object that completes 10 vibrations in 20 seconds has a frequency of A) 0.5 hertz. B) 2 hertz. C) 200 hertz.

Q: If you double the frequency of a vibrating object, its period A) doubles. B) halves. C) is quartered.

Q: A 60-vibration-per-second wave travels 30 meters in 1 second. Its frequency is A) 30 hertz and it travels at 60 m/s. B) 60 hertz and it travels at 30 m/s. C) 1800 hertz and it travels at 2 m/s. D) none of the above

Q: The frequency of a certain wave is 10 hertz and its period is A) 0.1 second. B) 10 seconds. C) 100 seconds. D) none of the above

Q: The frequency of a simple pendulum does NOT depend on A) its mass. B) its length. C) the acceleration due to gravity. D) all of the above E) none of the above